Magazine says Fla. is second-best state for business

GREENWICH, Conn. – May 11, 2016 – Chief Executive magazine released its annual Best & Worst States for Business survey and CEOs again rated Texas as the No. 1 state in which to do business – abut No. 2-ranked Florida continued to steadily edge up in qualitative measures.

Florida “has aggressively moved ahead on key issues, like rebuilding ports, without waiting on federal support,” the report says.

North Carolina, Tennessee and Indiana rounded out the top five, and Ohio ranked as the biggest gainer, rising from No. 22 in 2015 to No. 10 this year.

The Best & Worst States for Business survey captures the sentiments of CEOs on a range of important issues. The magazine calls the CEO opinions “crucial” because their judgments drive investments in offices, factories and other facilities that bring jobs to a region.

In addition to the overall state rankings, Chief Executive’s 2016 Best & Worst States for Business survey also presents individual category rankings, including quality of life (Idaho), tax policy (Wyoming), workforce quality (Utah) and best communication of business incentives (Arkansas).

“This has been a particularly volatile year,” says Marshall Cooper, CEO of Chief Executive magazine and ChiefExecutive.net. “Business leaders are challenged with everything from the growing talent shortage and skills gap, to digital transformation to discerning how the presidential election will impact their business.”